Protester with peace flag interrupts men's World Cup game in Qatar

A protester ran onto the field Monday carrying a peace flag and wearing a blue Superman T-shirt that said "Save Ukraine" on the front and "Respect for Iranian Woman" on the back during a World Cup match between Portugal and Uruguay.

The flag is an unofficial symbol of world peace, which was created in Italy in 1961 and carries the word "PACE," which is Italian for peace.

Security officials chased the protester down and the flag was dropped on the field before he was escorted off the field.

The referee then picked up the flag and left it on the sideline, where it stayed for a few moments before a worker came and collected it.

It wasn't immediately clear if the protester faced any charges or had been detained by police.

In the first week of the tournament in Qatar, seven European teams lost the battle to wear multi-coloured "One Love" armbands during World Cup matches.

Fans also complained they weren't allowed to bring items with rainbow colours, a symbol of LGBTQ rights, into the stadiums of the conservative Islamic emirate.

Qatar's restrictive sexlaws and treatment of LGBTQ people were flashpoints in the run-up to the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East. Qatar has said everyone was welcome, including LGBTQ fans, but that visitors should respect the nation's culture.

The incident occurred during the second half of the game at Lusail Stadium.